Once Bhagawan was to give a discourse in the S.A.P. Kalyana Mandapam in Madras, now Chennai. Thousands of
eager devotees gathered to have His darshan and to hear His inspiring words. His divine form filled them with bliss. After Darshan, Swami spoke in Telugu. Chithoor Nagayya, the celebrated actor and devotee of Swami, was standing by Swami and translating His discourse into Tamil. The audience was spellbound and enjoying every word of Bhagawan.
Suddenly, a small baby, barely a year old and lying in his mother's lap, began to wail loudly. All eyes turned towards the crying baby who was the cause of the disturbance. A few seconds passed. Everyone saw Swami on the dais gently smiling. He extended his open palm towards the crying child in the 'abhaya' mode , but suddenly closed it into a tight fist! That very moment, the child fell silent.
None could gauge the reason why the baby suddenly started wailing and why he, equally suddenly, stopped crying. Swami extended the closed fist now towards Nagayya, opened it and said, "A small 25-paise coin got stuck in that little baby's throat and I have removed it. Here it is!" Sri Nagayya was completely overcome by emotions or surprise and happiness and immediately announced it over the microphone.
The enraptured audience exploded into wild applause. Even though the little baby was right in her own lap, the poor mother did not know what had gone wrong with her child. It is obvious that, more than even one's own mother, God is much, very much, closer.
Sai Ram
